Where The Fruit Is
by Myka Belle
Summary: Living with the Cullen's means you will eventually learn about their unique form of discipline. After witnessing it first hand, Jacob is haunted with the thought of it happening to him. WARNING: Contains spanking. Yes, spanking. Don't like? Don't read.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I just want to say, I apologize for this soon to be incredibly crazy and random multi-chaptered fic in advance. This idea has been rattling around in my head for months now. I wrote a lot of this story up a long time ago but I never posted it because...you know...life.

I want this fic to be something I can come back to and just write for fun because I assure you it's about to get rocky ;)

Yes, this fic does contain spanking. So if that offends you or disgusts you. You see that little arrow pointing west of the equator? It's called the "back button". Click it. It's magical. It will solve all your problems.

Anyone still here? Alrighty :) Let's get to it then

* * *

_Jacob's P.O.V_

I can't remember ever being this cold .

As a werewolf, chill doesn't affect me like it would a human but, this. This was different.

I felt as if whatever entity that orchestrated this earth had a serious bone to pick with me at the moment.

Did I mention it was cold?

As I stiffly touched my arm now I wasn't sure if my fingertips connected with my skin or a block of ice. Instantly, I felt less like myself. I was so use to radiating heat that this numbing sensation was overly new to me.

I didn't want new, I wanted familiar. But obviously that was too much to ask.

Yet as I ascended the steps to the porch of the house that all but screamed unusual, I had to chase those "woe is me" thoughts away.

This house, my purpose, all of it was a final resort, one that I really didn't want to fall back on. But I had no choice. It was either this or go homeless. I shivered, knowing I was soaking wet but not caring. However, a faint voice in the back of my head did tell me how rude it was to drip rainwater all over their welcome mat.

Oh well.

I just stood there for a moment, trying to figure out how the hell I was going to raise my hand and knock when my muddled brain could barely identify my arm from my elbow. I would kick myself for getting myself in this situation if it didn't hurt.

Before I realized what was happening, my head decided to have a dizzy spell and my world tipped upside down for a moment. I stagger backwards, then forward, trying to get my body under control. I grimaced, falling forward again...but this time I didn't stop...I kept going!

And..._ouch_

Did I just...?

Yes, I did.

I headbutted the door.

So much for that knocking thing I found so hard to do.

My body had enough good sense to stagger backwards before someone opened the door and I fell to my demise.

I just stood there shivering for a moment, feeling my immune system grow weaker and weaker. It was cold. Somehow I registered at least that. Could this get any worse?

Then the door swung open and I realized that: Yes, yes it could.

I must of looked pathetic standing there looking like a wet, lost puppy, the pouring rain in the background not making this picture any less sad.

I wanted to see who answered the door but my suddenly heavy eyes prevented me from doing so, but judging by the enormous shadow being cast over me I assumed it was a male. A very large male.

"I knew I smelled a mutt." growled a husky voice. Yep, definitely a mal-wait, mutt?!

I lurched my head up at him to give him a piece of my mind. Too bad every piece of my mind ached too bad.

I squeezed my eyes shut and clutched my throbbing head in absolute pain.

"Who's at the door, Emmett?" called someone, female.

The male, now identified as "Emmett" grunted and said...something. I couldn't hear him despite the close distance. Great, now my damn ears were ringing.

More voice were approaching now, some sounding concerned and some sounding disgusted. But that didn't matter. What _did _matter was that the floor was getting closer...and closer...and closer.

* * *

(No one's P.O.V)

"Gross! It threw up on my shoes!" cried Emmett indignantly, immediately kicking off said loafers.

Alice made a small gasp, horrified at the aspect of perfectly good footwear gone to waste, enticing Jasper to finally look up from the TV and come over, curious about all the commotion. He froze, however, when at his doorstep lay none other Jacob Black. An instinctive snarl escaped his lips.

Carlisle magically appeared at Jasper's side.

"What's all this about? Emmett, I told you I'd get the door." his honey-colored gaze scrutinized his son for a minute and then found the unconscious teenager at their door. The entire coven was gathered around now, but they kept their distance as if something contagious was in front of them.

"Jacob Black?"

"Yes, Jacob Black! Otherwise known as 'upchuckington'!"

"He threw up on your shoes?" Carlise asked, bending down to feel the scarcely breathing boy's forehead. A concerned frown now etched his features. "He's ice cold."

"That's not our problem."

Ignoring whichever son had made that ignorant comment, Carlisle turned and started demanding orders.

"Alice, go get a blanket, he needs to be kept warm. Rosalie, go in the kitchen and boil a pot of water. Edward..."

He looked from Jacob to Edward who was silently seething and as (if not, more) upset as Emmett was. Carlisle seemed reluctant to make the request even as his daughters rushed off to do as they were told.

"Go get him dry clothes, yours will fit him."

* * *

**A/N: **Ohh, Edward's not gonna like that. Not one bit. Poor Jake...but he'll better, I promise.

Don't forget to review please! :) Tell me what you think so far? Like it? Love it? Or maybe it's just okay so far? I won't know if you don't tell me.

Until next time! (which is hopefully soon)

-Myka


	2. Chapter 2

_From Edward's P.O.V_

"What?" I asked as if I abruptly needed a hearing aid.

"Son, he is drenched in rainwater. He will catch pneumonia if we don't change him out of these clothes immediately."

"I'm not visually impaired, Carlisle, I can see that." I mumbled.

"Then I advise you not act as if you need a hearing aid next time." he said, one blonde eyebrow arching upwards.

So he did catch that...

Carlisle was a doctor. I understood that. Whenever anything requiring his doctorly adeptness came up, his instincts came to vivacity and he was the first to react. But this? This was a lot to ask. If the man had requested I lend my clothes to _anyone else_ in Forks, I would have happily obliged him. There was a difference between everyone else in this city of Clallam County, Washington and Jacob. A resident of Forks had the good enough sense to be at home and safe under their respective roofs knowing it'd protect them from the liquid needles of death that only wanted to render them sick. Unfortunately, Jacob here wasn't graced with the God-given gift of common sense. The fact that he currently laid at my feet in a puddle of his own fruition was a testimony to that.

At my feet lay my arch nemesis, my only genuine competition for Bella's heart. If I loathed anyone, it was Jacob Black. And now I was being asked to literally take the shirt off my back for him? The guy could be on fire and I wouldn't so much as offer him a glass of water, if anything, i'd drink it. Which would be disgusting seeing as how blood is the only thing my stomach can remotely digest without it retching up my non-functioning organs but, heck, I'd do anything to spite him.

"Now you know how I felt when I had to lend my clothes to that girlfriend of yours." I could make out Rosalie's piercing voice, which I suspected she specifically used only when she felt the need to aggravate me, from anywhere.

"Really?" I spun around, my tone incredulous. "We're bringing that up? _Now?_"

"Just saying, now we have one more thing to toss into the pile of things we can relate to, which is wonderfully small."

I had to resist a fed up eye roll.

"Just..." I remembered my parents were in the room. "Stop talking, okay? This doesn't concern you. Go boil your water."

She gasped lowly. "Are you implying that as a woman I belong in the kitchen?"

I gaped at her. Then closed my mouth with a snap.

"No, Rosalie. That never came out of my mouth." I said deceivingly benign through gritted teeth.

_But I suggest you get there before I refer to you as something that starts with a "b" and ends in a "itch" you irritating drama-initiating little...!_

"Keep it up, you two, your on a roll." Carlisle said casually, moving the wet hair strands that clung to Jacob's face out of his eyes so he could feel his forehead better. "Not sure if i'm just being forgetful, but I think I recall telling a particular one of you to do as I asked."

Rosalie smirked at me, all but radiating self satisfaction. I swear I felt my eyes flicker.

"No disrespect, dad..." I started, trying to keep my tone polite. "But i'm not nor ever doing anything for this..." I looked to my larger brother. "What did you call him?"

"A mutt."

"Mutt." I said, turning back to Carlisle once more.

"Edward." he stood, his voice in the conversation but his mind elsewhere. "One, I'm sure you will find it beneficial for both of your well-beings if this is the last time either of you use that word. Two, saying 'no disrespect' before you utilize blatant disrespect does not make it any less unacceptable. Three, you will do whatever I tell you and whenever I tell you to do it regardless of who it's for."

I bit my lip. "I get that, Dad, really I do. But who just shows up at someone's house unconscious anyway? We should have him arrested for trespassing."

"Edward Cullen." scolded Esme who seemingly apparated from nowhere. "Who he is and what he's done to you doesn't matter when at the moment he is still just a boy who is obviously in need of care. That is no way to treat him."

"Mom, that is so easy for you to say when it's my adversary and not yours at our doorstep. And there's nothing wrong with him, he's fine." I argued, tone growing less polite. "We're pale and ice cold yet you don't see us collapsing on people's porches unannounced."

I heard my father shift beside me and I glanced at him for the third time yet only noticed his raised eyebrows for the first time through my cloud of irritation. He was in my face within 2 seconds.

"That's enough from you, Edward." he stated.

Somehow that tone always had me keeping a wince, grimace, or flinch in check. This time it was all three. "But Dad..."

"Do _not_ 'but Dad' me."

Oh yeah, he hated that.

"No buts. Although yours is going to be in jeopardy if you aren't here and back with a bundle of clothes in no less then three seconds and you know I'm not being sarcastic when I say three."

Legend has it that it is impossible for the face of a vampire to blush and/or heat up in embarrassment. So why did I feel so damn flustered in that moment as all my siblings paused what they were doing to ogle the scene. It'd been a while since Dad and I butted heads. Carlisle was in no way a cruel man but when provoked, he brooked no argument. But at that moment, I just wasn't having any of it.

_Oohh, tread carefully Eddie_

Thank you, Emmett, because I honestly have no perpetual idea of what situations do and do not warrant careful treading.

_Aww Dad go easy on your precious youngest_

Gee Wilakers, I wonder which thought that belonged to? Mockery, vice and everything nice? Can't be Rosalie, no way.

_I get clothes are valuable and all but, c'mon Edward, is this really worth getting your-_

ALRIGHT THEN. Yep, Alice sister dear, I can always depend on you to never fail in making me feel the need to 'pretend blush' my ears off.

_Dumbass_

Thank you, Jazz. Always so supportive, that guy.

"Do I have to start counting, young man?"

I made a mental note to recommend to Dad to never work at NASA because my crash landing back to planet Earth was anything but gentle.

I snapped my mind out of everyone else's thoughts and back on the matter at hand. Jacob. Clothes. Angry Dad. Abort mission!

"Carlisle-" I started only to be interrupted once more.

"One."

And T minus "one" second was the approximate amount of time it took for me to zoom up into my room and back with what I'd argue to death wasn't a pout but a manly grimace and a bundle of clothes.

"Thank you."

_Whatever. _I thought, grateful I was the only mind reader in the room.

And just like that the atmosphere shifted from a very tense one to a very uncomfortable one.

"So are you just going to strip him down right here, or...?"

Cool and collective as always, Carlisle regarded his largest son with a small smile.

"Feeling modest, Emmett?"

It was nice to see him 'pretend blush' for a change.

"I know they're nude a lot but I've never seen a naked werewolf in my lifetime and i'm not planning on it."

"He's not going to be completely naked and..." Carlisle rolled the shuddering Quileute onto his back. "I can't do this alone."

"That is, if he hasn't gone commando." Jasper muttered, looking just as awkward.

"Daaad!" Emmett groaned. "Why can't MOM help you?!"

We all shot her desperate looks but she, Alice and Rosalie had disappeared in the kitchen. She was making sure neither of them burned the house down trying to decipher the oh so difficult task of boiling water.

"That's a bit inappropriate don't you think." Carlisle said, his British accent growing thicker in distaste at the inane suggestion.

"Yeah, I guess you have a point." Emmett said bitterly, mentally retracting the statement.

"Let's get to it then."

Dad ignored the 3 chorus of groans and concentrated on carefully dragging Jacob out of the puddle of rainwater he was in.

/ /_From Jacob's P.O.V_/ /

I yawned widely, nuzzling down into the pillows under my head, trying to prevent the sunlight from seeping into my eyes.

I felt so comfortable here in this bed, this warm room. All luxuries I hadn't been able to partake in, in a long ti-

Wait.

This bed?!

This warn room?!

I shot up, my eyes darting frantically around this foreign place, trying to figure out where I was exactly. I unconsciously pulled the covers closer in fright but upon realizing how cowardly that was, flung them away.

"Hello...?" I asked cautiously as if the room would actually answer me. It didn't.

Feeling stupid, I began to attempt to reason this all out.

_Think_ Jacob. What's the last thing you remember?

It was then I noticed a steaming pot of water beside me with a equally hot towel on my forehead. I shook it off, then slipped out of the very comfy blankets and strolled over to the window where I let the sunlight warm my slightly clammy skin.

Clammy skin..?

I squinted my eyes at the sun.

Sun...

It hadn't been sunny earlier. It'd been raining. Pouring down, in fact. And cold, it had been extremely cold due to the Winter weather that was creeping in. I ran my fingers through my still damp hair, trying to figure out how this all came together to make sense.

Home.

That's right, I ran away from home...and for a damn good reason.

I felt pressure build up behind my eyes as horrible thoughts assaulted my mind but something within my innermost self roared at me to man the hell up and keep my emotions tightly bottled up inside as I always did. So I did. I had to. It was the only way I could live with myself.

I looked down at the wooden floor beneath my feet and began to pace it, blinking back the moisture until it slowly receded back into my eyelids where it belonged.

I didn't want to be homeless after I ran away. So I had considered what my options were as far as a place to crash went. Everyone in the pack was out of question. I wanted to be far away from La Push as possible. After eliminating a few selective people from my list, Bella instantly came to mind. I figured it wouldn't hurt. Charlie seemed to deem me as a decent guy and Bella, sadly, considered me as a friend and a friend only so I thought maybe it'd work out.

It hadn't.

Bella immediately turned down the offer with an expression that could only be described as petrified. She apologized over and over again because there was no way it could happen, saying if her blood sucking boyfriend ever found out she was harboring his arch enemy who was clearly better then him in all aspects of his worthless existence he'd flip the house upside down, Charlie be damned!

Okay, maybe she hadn't said all that..

But I guessed she was right. I usually was the brink of almost all of our altercations anyway. I really didn't feel the need to be on a vamps bad side given my current situation.

_"Just go home, Jake!" _she had bellowed at me with a fond smile as I walked off into the glistening woodland from where I came. I managed to return the smile even as I felt anything but joy at the time.

I thought she had been a sure thing. So understandably I was a bit a lost at that point, trying to reckon what my next course of affirmative action would be.

And then it began to rain.

Groaning, I had merely ran around for a while, asking people I hadn't spoken to in years. Turns out people don't take too kindly to that. It wasn't one of my most brilliant escapades because they had all had the same response: slam the door in his no good face.

So eventually I just started roaming endlessly, not feeling unlike a nomad. Out of pure boredom I began envisioning myself as a lone samurai, unafraid of the world and everything it had to throw at me. I knew it was lame, but I was growing delirious due to the mounting chill tormenting my usually tepid temperature. Even my own inner occult thermostat was betraying me. I tried to ward off the cold by rubbing my arms but it was no use, I'd have to tolerate it.

I could finally relate to how Jack felt after the Titanic hit the iceberg. The words "I'll never let go Jack, I'll never let go." had begun to plague my mind after that and that was basically the moment I realized I had lost nearly all contact with the reasonable parts of my mind.

As I walked on, I began to recognize my surroundings less and less until they were no longer familiar. The thick rain had been preventing me from seeing much and I'd gotten lost. Dammit.

To my immense elation though, I almost instantly spotted a rather extravagant-looking home in the distance. I faintly wondered if it was a mirage my muddled brain was teasing me with but several moments of gaping at it proved that theory wrong. I hadn't tried a strangers home before but it wasn't too late to try. I had been desperate at that point. It was cold, raining, and Rose Dawson wouldn't shut up about Jack!

On my way there, I practiced my puppy dog eyes in case I'd need them. I was a proud individual, but I wasn't too proud to beg. The rational side of me was screaming expletives at me in my native language but I ignored it. Still, rational thoughts invaded the territory of my irrational ones and fought for supremacy. I didn't know this house or this isolated area. These people could be serial killers that enjoyed the way their corpses decayed in the moonlight.

Then I had to remind myself that I was A) a kick ass werewolf B) completely capable of making wise decisions and C) REALLY cold.

As I got closer to it though, I discovered that I knew this house after all. While that thought should have been a comforting one, it was anything but.

The _Cullens_. This was the Cullen's _house_. Or overgrown coffin, however you wanted to put it.

How? When? Where? I chided myself severely for not seeing that sooner. I felt obligated to curse the weather for rendering my vision so useless.

I didn't remember much after that.

Had I braved the chance?

As I tried to recall all my mind could offer me was a blur and a shiver from the recollection of how utterly freezing it had been. I must of looked like a zombie.

But as I turned from the window to stare at the bed, I wondered where I could possibly be. Heaven maybe?

It _couldn't_ be the Cullen's house. They'd never let me in...would they?

I explored the room for a while, looking in all the doors for an answer and also for any dead bodies or anything else that would lead me to escape through the window. I opened the closet, wondering what I expected to find in there-Narnia? Finally I opened a door that lead to a hallway.

I looked left, then right, seeing no one. Just when I was about to open the door wider and step out, I heard voices coming up the stairs. Suddenly feeling shy, I gasped lowly and immediately slunk back into the room, gently closing the door.

The voices got closer, my heart sped up. I walked away from the door slowly until they passed by completely, growing less distinct as they faded in the distance. I breathed a sigh of relief. I couldn't explain why I was acting so jumpy but I pushed that aside for now due to what of I spotted outside the window. I walked over, my eyes widening at the astonishing sight before me.

There out in what was obviously the backyard were the Cullens, standing in a circle, kicking a soccer ball to each other in what appeared to be boredom. They looked so...normal. The snarl that had risen it's way up to my chest bubbled down.

I could barely hear them, but their antics were expressible enough.

Emmett was bouncing the ball on his knees and grinning at Edward who scowled at him and made a remark that had Emmett kicking the ball at him with more force then necessary. They all laughed and began to all talk at once, eagerly trying to make some point. As I stared I realized this was the first time I've ever seen Edward Cullen...well...smile. I supposed it because he was always glaring at me in that way that implied you were on their list of people who they'd rather stab ten times over. Or in their case, bite and leech the life force out of.

The blonde one though-Casper? No Jasper I think-stiffened all of a sudden and spun around, making direct eye contact with me.

I gasped for the second time that day and stumbled backwards as if he had shot venom at me. How in the...? He actually saw me! He must of sensed my presence. These vamps were really more clever then I granted them credit for. I cautiously returned to the window. They had all turned to stare at me now, each having their own significant expression.

The big one looked amused.

The short, pixie-like one looked perturbed.

The blonde firecracker looked annoyed.

Jasper looked blunt.

And Edward looked as if he could punch a hole in the nearest building at the moment-or preferably me.


	3. Chapter 3

Emmett's expression suddenly turned mischievous. Upon noticing her mate's expression, Rosalie's turned exasperated. The large dude began walking towards me, a menacing smirk now gracing his face. I took an involuntary step backwards. He bent down and picked up a rock, hurling it at the window. It bounced off roughly. I frowned in confusion. Was he trying to stone me? I mean, it all made sense and all, I was the enemy but at least try when there's no glass between us.

Another rock was thrown, snapping me out of my shocked stupor. Oh, he was trying to get my attention. I gave it to him. He mouthed something. Not being a lip-reader, I mouthed back "What?" He made a gesture with his hands and I realized he meant the window. I lifted it up, grimacing at the cold air that immediately breezed in.

"Step back!" Emmett said. Then he bowed forward and-leaped! Right on the window sill. Then he slipped inside.

"Emmett! Get back down here!" Rosalie demanded with an anxious tone to her voice. In a flash, she was up and through the window too. I merely stared, too stunned for words as one by one the siblings invited themselves into the room and jumped through the window, Edward being the last.

"Okay, we're all here? Do I need to do a roll call?" Emmett teased with a smirk. They all glared at him but said nothing.

I stared at the floorboards, trying to turn invisible. I was out-numbered. One werewolf and five vamps. They could easily dismember me now and, honestly, I'd let them. I had nothing left to live for. I deserved pain.

But as we stood there in awkward silence, it became apparent that they didn't wish to do me any harm. I looked up quizzically only to find them all eyeing me plainly. A blush rose up to my cheeks instantly at their scrutiny. I shuddered but it wasn't due to the wind this time.

"Hey."

Alice was suddenly in my face.

I gasped, nearly falling backwards. She caught my arms as if expecting it, then frowned at me in concern.

"Cold?" she deduced.

In seconds she had the windows closed then was at my side again. I inched away from her slightly.

Her face scrunched up a little at that. "Relax, i'm just trying to be hospitable."

"And i'm grateful." I started slowly. "But no offense, you came up here, so what do you want?"

"Uh." sounded Emmett. "We should be asking you that question seeing as you showed up at _our_ doorstep, not vice versa."

I blinked. Then it all came flooding back to me. My blushed returned.

"O-oh right."

The door was flung open and in strolled Carlisle and Esme.

I tried not to flinch this time. This family was just full of surprises.

"Oh, we're all here. Fantastic." Carlisle observed in surprise.

"Glad to see you haven't torn each other apart limb from limb yet."

"Dad, i'm insulted." the ever out-spoken Emmett said with a awfully fake offended expression. "I prefer to let my victims suffer a more slow, prolonged death."

Rolling her golden eyes, Alice voiced her opinion next. "Of course not, Daddy. You told us not to leave him alone, besides, he's no trouble really. Contrary to popular belief..." she darted her glance to Edward. "he's really quiet and harmless."

"For now." Edward had no problem saying aloud.

As Alice gave an account of their spying on me, I slowly came to terms with the fact that they had been outside the window on purpose, to watch me. But I was mostly thwarted at how they had let me in their house at all.

When Alice's chatter dwindled off into nothing, Carlisle nodded and smiled warmly at me.

"Well, well, Mr. Black. I'm glad to see your standing on your own two feet this morning."

I knew it was light teasing but uggghh! I was mortified. To show such weakness in front of them the way that I had was humiliating. How would they ever take me seriously again? How would I ever look them in the eye?

"Like this." said Edward who was suddenly very close and indeed looking me in my eyes.

He barked a humorless laugh at my shocked expression then was back at his spot by Jasper in nanoseconds. I blinked, reeling over the the fact that Edward had invaded my thoughts and then looked down, remembering what Carlisle had said.

"I'm...I'm sorry about showing up at your porch like that. I wasn't thinking...I-I just."

Was I seriously sputtering?

Ugh!

Leave _now_! Your such a bother!

"I'm s-sorry. I'll just leave." I went to gather my things but remembered I had none. I kept my eyes to the floor as I weaved through the assembly of vamps.

"What?" Emmett said with a loud laugh, merely stepping in front of me. I ran into his broad chest, stumbling a bit from the impact.

"Hold on." said someone, grabbing me by the back of my shirt and spinning me around. "I think your forgetting something."

Once I was no longer disoriented, I found myself bristling at their manhandling. "What?" I asked as well-mannered as I could through clenched teeth. It _was_ their house after all. I could at least show some courtesy.

"Look at what your wearing." Edward requested.

I did. What in the...? Flannel shirt, pants, and grey undershirt. This wasn't my style. And they were a tad too big.

"These aren't-"

"Your clothes. I know, their mine. Can you kindly give them back?"

Startled, I stared at him for a while, trying to comprehend the verity that Edward Cullen let me borrow his clothes. Which is considerate, seeing how mine would've killed me had I stayed in them much longer.

I offered a small grateful smile, unbuttoning the flannel shirt. "Uh, sure."

Then I froze when a certain realization hit me. I had been way too out of it last night to have changed my own clothing. I gave the bronze haired boy a horrified look. Had he...?

But I forgot Edward was a mind-reader and he immediately adopted my disturbed expression as well.

"Oh gawd, no, no, no." I muttered, shaking head. "No, you couldn't have."

He rubbed the back of his neck and averted his gaze sheepishly.

"Uh.."

"Please tell me you didn't."

"Carlisle made me."

My jaw hit the floor.

"Well, us."

I almost fell over for 3rd time that day. The girls helped too?!

"Jacob." called some voice, not drawing my attention at all. "Jacob Black."

I turned to find Carlisle looking at me with a furrowed brow. "Y-yeah?"

"Concentrate for me, okay? Speaking of your clothes from last night, they were completely and utterly drenched. What were you doing in the rain out in the woods so late?" he asked, his voice abundant with concern. "And don't tell me it's a Quileute thing." he said with the familiarity of any father who'd heard all the lies a teenager had to offer.

I paused to gaze into honey-colored eyes brimming with only compassion. He didn't...he didn't loath me?

"Yeah." Rosalie nodded in agreement. "You threw up all over my husband's shoes then proceeded to give us all a heart attack."

"I..."

"Oh right!" Emmett exclaimed. "You did puke all over me, didn't you? Kinda rude."

"I-I..."

"And you left quite the puddle at our door." Esme recalled. "Oh, but sweetie, you were so cold!"

_Sweetie?_

"He was!" Alice piped up. "We need like 5 blankets to warm you up! Which was a task seeing as how we never need any."

"But then he started getting a fever." Jasper shook his head solemnly at the memory. "It was like 120 degrees, according to Carlisle's thermometer."

"If i'm not mistaken, werewolves are generally 108 degrees." Carlisle said, nodding in recollection.

I trembled, a shallow breath ghosting over my lips alerting me to how dry they had gotten. They had...the _Cullens _had come together in a collective effort to help _me? _Had all this really happened? _Was_ this really happening? I couldn't remember any of it!

I gave them each an incredulous glance, seeing the truth in their golden gazes. Carlisle chuckled and squeezed my shoulder. I flinched. Now if they would kindly stop appearing out of thin air...

"As Rosalie said, you gave us all quite the heart attack."

They did all that...for me? When they could have just left me to die? And they weren't angry?

My lips moved before I could stop them. "I'm sorry!" I blurted out.

"I was just lost and cold and then I staggered upon your house and...and..." I paused, grimacing at how _pathetic_ I sounded.

"Shh, Jacob." Carlisle consoled, his eyes donning that care-taker air to them once again. I had the urge to lean into his touch but I forced myself not to.

"Come." he lead me back to the bed and had me gently sit down.

"Just start from the beginning."

I felt a twinge of embarrassment at all the attention but quickly shoved it away in favor of a more relieved feeling because I had someone to tell this to. This fear that I've had for a long time now, I could confide it in someone else.

So I did start from the beginning, starting with my father's death that occurred a year ago. Everyone knew about it but all they could do was advocate their sympathies and condolences. It's not like they could bring him back. Sure, I had the pack but I had still felt alone in the world. I wasn't legally an adult but I had to teach myself to be one and become my own guardian back then at the mere age of 16. I dropped out of school and began to focus on how I was going to pay the expenses for the funeral. I couldn't though, my Dad hadn't left behind enough money and no one else had it at the time so my father's ashes remained in an urn on a mantle in our-er, my living room. After that, my life took a tragic turn. I began to care about myself less and less. I loathed my existence. I began to assume the world hated me. Most days, I couldn't even make it out of bed.

Sam fed me, brought me things, visited me frequently, took care of me, but he never really was _there_ to comfort, only to provide. He assumed the best comfort I could receive was the kind I could give myself. In a year, I eventually got out of my funk and restarted activities with my pack. I learned what happiness was once more and even managed a smile most days. I never forgot about my dad, however, not when his urn sat on my mantle.

Most people see the ashes of their loved one as their loved one itself and take comfort in that, but I couldn't bring myself to. I saw a jar. A jar containing what used to be. I saw a smile, a hug, a fond call of "son" all locked away in this container, never for me to indulge in again. That's why I never looked forward to going home. Home harbored memories, good memories of course, but they were tainted. They were just ghost of the pasts to me when I had no one to share them with. No matter how much furniture I furnished the house with, in the end it would always be just an empty place when it didn't have my dad, his chair, or his kind gaze that he always directed towards me. All of it-gone! A home devoid of things I use to cherish the most. _That_ was what the term 'home' meant to me now.

I couldn't take it anymore. Even after a year, I became cynical. I didn't want to live in a world where my dad didn't. Everyday I'd rush into the house, avoiding looking at the urn as if it'd kill me if it I did-and it probably would. It was a cycle of torture.

Though only yesterday, I made the mistake of glancing at it simply because I was feeling brave. Undeniably one of the worst things I've done in my life. Emotions, all of them overwhelming, flooded me at once and then I fell to my knees, tears coursing down my cheeks. The sorrow I'd tried so hard to shield from everyone who tried to get close to me, coming forth with a vengeance. Gasping and sobbing, I then screamed something akin to-

Dad? Pa? Daddy?

Whatever it was, it broke my heart further and I fled from there, not looking back, not being able to even if I tried. All emotions I had kept in check until that cataclysmic moment, thriving and tearing me apart inside. I wasn't proud of what I did next. After I made some distance between me and my anguish, I simply collapsed against a tree and cried hysterically. After I had my inevitable emotional breakdown, I dried my face and told myself to man up. But I wasn't going back. That was for damn sure. I'd leave La Push. Too many memories. I'd run away from home.

"And that concludes my story." I whispered, barely able to hear myself. As I retold everything that happened, just saying whatever was on my mind, my voice grew meeker and meeker until not even my enhanced hearing could perceive much. But they were vampires, their hearing was superb.

I glanced up at them, wondering how they had reacted. Shock. Complete and utter shock made up the majority of their expressions...with a hint of sorrow. The sorrow became crushing however when a certain blonde headed male couldn't keep his ability in check.

"Jasper, please!" Rosalie complained, already visibly upset herself.

But he wasn't acknowledging her, his smoldering gaze was pinned on me. I actually squirmed. One second he was stalking towards me and the next he was sitting on the bed beside me, crushing me to his chest in a rib-shattering hug.

It was my turn to be shocked.

"Carlisle." he said, a tremor palpable in his voice. "We have to help him."

In Jasper's tone I heard something...familiar. I had heard it my own voice before. I found myself hugging him back securely.

"We will, son." Carlisle reassured. "For now, allow him to breath."

He seemed reluctant to do so but he slowly let me go, gazing at me with a look that said he understood me. But before I could ponder that thought further, I was pulled into another ferocious hug and while it didn't quite engulf me like Jasper's, it was warm and sweet. I hugged the shorter woman back.

"Oh..." Esme choked.

I blinked slowly, wondering why they weren't telling me that I'd be "okay" and that I should go home and that I was over-reacting. Carlisle stood with a grim expression that everyone else mirrored and hugged us both.

I gasped silently, I was getting more consolation in this one moment then I had in years, really. For a while, they just held me, seeing as how I'd kind of lost my legs. It seemed they needed to comfort themselves as much as they needed to comfort me. I reluctantly accepted it. Then I remember where I was and that I should be embarrassed for this display so I pulled away and they let me.

Esme put her hand to her mouth, quivering and looking beyond words. She left the room. Her daughters looked to be struggling as well and followed her. A wave of exhaustion fell over me. Reliving those emotions was pure exhaustion. Carlisle noticed.

"Come, Jacob, lay back down." he said, drawing back the covers. Jasper immediately stood up, having successfully reigned in his ability. I walked slowly over to Carlisle, regarding him blearily.

"But...I..."

He smiled softly at my tired sputtering and grabbed my wrist, guiding me gently into the warm cocoon I had recently left.

"Hmm?" he indulged me.

"I have to...I have..."

He made certain I was settled, briefly feeling my forehead with the formality of any doctor.

"You have to what, son?"

Son.

That term brought tears to my eyes but my cloudy brain couldn't comprehend why.

"I have to...return...r-return Edward...his clothes." I interrupted myself with a yawn.

Across the room I groggily saw Edward pinch the bridge of his nose and sigh as if he had just gone through something taxing.

"Don't even worry about that right now...Jacob."

I blinked. That was the very first time he hadn't spat my name out in disgust or added my last name to it.

"Yeah, man, just rest." Emmett said gravely, not sounding like himself at all.

Had I caused this? This solemn atmosphere?

"Tissss...ughh nooo..." I slurred as Carlisle laid my uselessly flopping limbs down and tucked me in.

"Shh, Jacob. Sleep now, okay? Come this afternoon you'll get to say more but I need you to rest right now, alright?"

I felt like I should have blushed at his juvenile treatment of me but my face was already heating up due to other reasons.

"Okayy..." I agreed, not sure what to, but agreed nonetheless. Then everything became black.


End file.
